The present disclosure is directed to exercise equipment and more particularly to a reformer exercise apparatus having an all metal frame of simplified construction.
Joseph H. Pilates, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,621,477, originally developed the concept of using a wheeled platform carriage connected to a resistance device such as a set of weights in conjunction with a stationary frame to provide a variable resistance against which a user could push with his/her feet or pull with the arms while in a sitting or recumbent position in order to exercise the major muscle groups of the user's trunk, legs and/or arms. Since that time many changes and improvements in the design of such an apparatus were developed by Joseph Pilates, and more recently, have been evolved by his students and others. One current apparatus is commonly referred to as a “reformer” which includes a wheeled platform carriage which rides on parallel rails or tracks on or forming part of a rectangular wooden or metal frame. The carriage is connected to a series of parallel springs or elastic members which are in turn connected to a foot end of the rectangular frame. My U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,120,425, 7,163,500 and 7,288,053 reflect some of the evolutionary developments that have taken place since 1927.
A reformer generally has a rectangular frame that includes four legs, one at each corner. The sides and ends of wood frame reformers have corner joints assembled via conventional wood joinery techniques. Metal frame reformers have corner joints that are welded together such as the Gratz reformer manufactured by Gratz Industries LLC, or may be joined as taught by one of my US patents, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,976, among others. One difficulty with a reformer frame that has welded corners with legs is that it cannot thereafter be non-destructively disassembled for any reason, and, if made of steel, is quite heavy. Therefore there is a need for a simplified rigid reformer frame structure that can be easily disassembled while retaining the clean appearance and stability of a unitary rigid frame structure.